Feminism & Fashion

Tag Archives: Cara Delevingne

So I know everyone will have seen these by now but I couldn’t not post about the campaign for what might be my favourite collection, ever. On the Fashion Spot and elsewhere there seems to be a lot of hate for the collection, the campaign and Slimane’s tenure in general. All three seem to be branded as showcasing a surly teenager, but there’s only so long a fashion house can cater to one generation of customers before they start dangerously limiting their clientele. And I dispute that evaluation of Slimane’s work anyway. Yes, the looks are “young”. Yes, the looks are “grungy”. I don’t know too many adults in fashion (read: none), or even many that take an interest in the industry, but if street style blogs are anything to go by the over 30s are hardly just limited to finely weighted suits and silk shirts. So a young and grungy look isn’t necessarily at odds with a mortgage paying customer. I’m 21, and this collection is how I wish I could dress. But equally if I were 31, 41, or even 51 there is still so much in it that I could easily wear – check shirts, mannish outerwear and cocktail dresses are hardly beyond the wardrobes of those who can actually afford Saint Laurent. I love the direction Slimane has taken the brand in – the aesthetic is bang on for me but when you actually look at the individual pieces, they’re still very much wearable for older generations. And that’s why, despite pretty much every TFS comment to the contrary, Delevingne was the perfect choice for the campaign. No one seemed to kick up such a fuss when she was chosen by Burberry, who similarly promote a youthful, renegade vibe but generally sell to a much more financially secure customer. Here she looks perhaps a bit troubled, and certainly has a sense of recklessness, but it’s a mood that couldn’t fit the collection better.

I may actually splash out on colour cartridges so I can print these out. Fo’ real.